In October 2020, a regional workforce action group was established jointly by Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) in the South West to work collaboratively to address the workforce challenges within diagnostic imaging. The group was established to support the restoration and recovery of services and identify interventions required to develop and enhance the future diagnostic imaging workforce in the region and then support the implementation of these interventions.
As part of the blueprint strategy that arose from the regional adopt and adapt workstream, an international recruitment campaign was identified as an intervention that could address an immediate shortfall of radiographers, fill vacancies and support diagnostic recovery.
Following a successful in-country recruitment campaign in Dubai, 58 radiographers were offered employment in departments across the region. Recognising the many challenges that staff may encounter when relocating to work in the UK it was identified that new recruits would need additional support.
Plymouth Marjon University was contracted to provide a package of training to help newly recruited radiographers from outside the UK integrate successfully into their host departments. Applying novel pedagogy (the eLEARN approach) to develop flexible learning opportunities centred around reusable digital learning assets, self-paced e-learning sessions were augmented by group ‘connected’ sessions online, facilitated by a tutor. The programme’s three-phase strategy that focused on a targeted ‘before, during and after’ has seen an impact on a number of self-efficacy measures, a raised awareness of challenges, and personal awareness of implications for practice. It has acted to support a smooth transition through onboarding and beyond to both new recruits and their departments.
The principal recommendations following development and implementation of this Workplace Integration Package include ensuring digital accessibility for new recruits as part of the on-boarding process, considering the timing of delivery of any online connected support sessions, the provision of long-term pastoral support; and mandating the training requirement for managers and team leaders to improve engagement